Shadowfrost, the wintry incarnation of the Shadow Woods fest, has announced its initial lineup, cutting a cross-section through various sorts of heavy and varying degrees of extremity within that. Sounds neat, you say? It is. Alongside technical death metal and ambient this and that, one finds a good amount of doom and sludge, with Spiral Grave taking part to represent Frederick’s native doom scene and the likes of Asthma Castle and Yatra checking in on behalf of Baltimore. Primitive Man will bring their ultra-violent noise, and Magic Circle head south from Boston to herald a traditionalist approach to heavy metal that, as you can hear on their latest album streaming below, still sounds fresh and deadly in kind.

It’s a good lineup thus far, and they take pains to note that this isn’t everything. With such a swatch and a sense of reach, I’ll be curious to see who else gets added, geographically as well as stylistically, and I shudder to think of the poor cleaning staff at that hotel once this weekend is over.

Feb. 21 and 22 at the Clarion Inn in Frederick, Maryland, is the place to be.

Additionally, SHADOW FROST MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL will offer gaming, workshops, vendors, and of course a pool party at the Clarion Inn Frederick Event Center, located near the interchange of I-270 and I-70 in Frederick, Maryland.

Tickets:SHADOW FROST is an all ages event, however, tickets for those under 18 may only be purchased at the door with an adult or guardian present who is willing to sign a waiver of liability. Kids under 5 get in free with paid parent or guardian. All other weekend passes, single-day tickets, and tickets for extremely limited VIP packages may be purchased online at: https://shadowfrost2020.bpt.me.

Lodging:Special rates apply for festival attendees at the hotel. We encourage you to book a room to enjoy the full festival experience. To reserve a room, go to http://ow.ly/kVFL50uMWQp.

You know, last year, when Psycho Last Vegas hosted the likes of Bell Witch and Wolves in the Throne Room at its Pool Party pre-show (review here) in the 100-plus degree heat, the “this I gotta see” factor was pretty high. The tone of spectacle that the Pool Party sets is in no small part a defining factor for what makes Psycho Psycho. And by that I mean it’s completely insane, front to back, concept to execution, and yet somehow it not only works, but works well. You’re gonna put Primitive Man — one of the most abrasive, filthiest-sounding, heaviest acts on the planet right now, on a stage used for poolside dance parties and techno nights? How does this even make sense?

It doesn’t need to. Corrosion of Conformity headline the newly-christened Psycho Swim — because you’re god damn right they do — and Lucifer, Danava, ASG, indeed, Primitive Man, Idle Hands, Howling Giant and Thrown into Exile will play. It’s the biggest Pool Party yet that Psycho has hosted, because duh, of course it is, and it seems that as the fest itself continues to scale upward on just about every level — creative scope, reach of the acts it pulls in stylistically and geographically, and the number of venues and attendees — it’s bringing the Pool Party along for the ride. All the better.

Lineup and ticket info follow. It’s going to be limited space, so keep that in mind before you get stoned and try to wander in late or something.

Dig:

PSYCHO SWIM 2019

limited to 1500 people, 300 vips get in for free and receive private cabanas and dipping pools as part of the psycho vip experience….tickets are only available online while supplies last. tickets are $35 & $55.

Let the games begin! The rules are the same: 10 albums per day, this time for a total of 60 between today and next Monday. It’s the Quarterly Review. Think of it like a breakfast buffet with an unending supply of pancakes except the pancakes are riffs and there’s only one dude cooking them and he’s really tired all the time and complains, complains, complains. Maybe not the best analogy. Still, it’s gonna be a ton of stuff, but there are some very, very cool records included, so please keep your eyes and your mind open for what’s coming, because you might find something here you really dig. If not, there’s always tomorrow. Let’s go.

Quarterly Review #1-10:

Stuck in Motion, Stuck in Motion

The classic style cover art of Swedish trio Stuck in Motion‘s self-titled debut tells much of the story. It’s sweet-toned vintage-style soul rock, informed by Graveyard to some degree, but more aligned to retroism. The songs are bluesy and natural and not especially long, but have vibe for weeks, as demonstrated on the six-minute longest-track “Dreams of Flying,” or the flute-laden closer “Eken.” What the picture doesn’t tell you is the heavy use of clavinet in the band’s sound and just how much the vintage electric piano adds to what songs like “Slingrar” with its ultra-fluid shifts in tempo, or the sax-drenched penultimate cut “Orientalisk.” Comprised of guitarist/vocalist Max Kinnbo, drummer Gustaf Björkman and bassist/vocalist/clavinetist Adrian Norén, Stuck in Motion‘s debut successfully basks in a mellow psychedelic blues atmosphere and shows a patience for songwriting that bodes remarkably well. It should not be overlooked because you think you’re tired of vintage-style rock.

AVER, Orbis Majora

Following up their 2015 sophomore outing, Nadir (review here), which led to them getting picked up by Ripple Music, Australia’s AVER return with the progressive shove of Orbis Majora, five songs in 50 minutes of thoughtfully composed heavy progadelica, and while it’s not all so serious — closer “Hemp Fandango” well earns its title via a shuffling stonerly groove — opener “Feeding the Sun” and the subsequent “Disorder” set a mood of careful craftsmanship in longform pieces. The album’s peak might be in the 13-minute “Unanswered Prayers,” which culls together an extended linear build that’s equal parts immersive and gorgeous, but the rest of the album hardly lacks for depth or clarity of purpose. An underlying message from the Sydney four-piece would seem to be that they’re going to continue growing, even after more than a decade, because it’s not so much that they’re feeling their way toward their sound, but willfully pushing themselves to refine those parameters.

Massa, Walls

Flourish of keys adds nuance to Massa‘s moody, heavy post-rock style, the Rotterdam-based trio bringing an atmosphere to their second EP, Walls, across five tracks and 26 minutes marked by periodic samples from cinema and a sense of scope that seems to be born of an experimental impulse but not presented as the experiment itself. That is, they take the “let’s try this!” impulse and make a song out of it, as the chunky rhythm of instrumental centerpiece “Expedition” or the melodies in the prior “#8” show. Before finishing with the crash-into-push of the relatively brief “Intermassa,” the eight-minute “The Federal” complements winding guitar with organ to affect an engaging spirit somewhere between classic and futurist heavy, with the drums holding together proceedings that would seem to convey all the chaos of that temporal paradox. Perhaps it was opener “Shiva” that set this creator/destroyer tone, but either way, Massa bask in it and find a grim sense of identity thereby.

Alastor, Slave to the Grave

The first full-length from Swedish doomplodders Alastor and their debut on RidingEasy Records, late 2018’s Slave to the Grave is the four-piece’s most expansive offering yet in sonic scope as well as runtime. Following the 2017 EPs Blood on Satan’s Claw (review here) and Black Magic (review here), the seven-song/56-minute offering holds true to the murk-toned cultism and dense low-end rumble of the prior offerings, but the melodic resonance and sense of updating the aesthetic of traditional doom is palpable throughout the roller “Your Lives are Worthless,” while the later acoustic-led “Gone” speaks to a folkish influence that suits them surprisingly well given the heft that surrounds. They make an obvious focal point of 17-minute closer “Spider of My Love,” which though they’ve worked in longer forms before, is easily the grandest accomplishment they’ve yet unfurled. One might easily say the same applies to Slave to the Grave as a whole. Those who miss The Wounded Kings should take particular note of their trajectory.

Seid, Weltschmerz, Baby!

If Norwegian space-psych outfit Seid are feeling weary of the world, the way they show it in Weltschmerz, Baby! is by simply leaving it behind, substituting for reality a cosmic starscape of effects and synth, the odd sample and vaguely Hawkwindian etherealism. The centerpiece title-track is a banger along those lines, a swell of rhythmic intensity born out of the finale of the prior “Satan i Blodet” and the mellow, flowing “Trollmannens Hytte” before that, but the highlight might be the subsequent “Coyoteman,” which drifts into dream-prog led by echoing layers of guitar and eventually given over to a fading strain of noise that “Moloch vs. Gud” picks up with percussive purpose and flows directly into the closer “Mir (Drogarna Börjar Värka),” rife with ’70s astro-bounce and a long fadeout that’s less about the record ending and more about leaving the galaxy behind. Starting out at a decent clip with “Haukøye,” Weltschmerz, Baby! is all about the journey and a trip well worth taking.

Moab, Trough

A good record tinged by the tragic loss of drummer Erik Herzog during the recording and finished by guitarist/vocalist Andrew Giacumakis and bassist Joe Fuentes, the 10-track/39-minute Trough demonstrates completely just how much Moab have been underrated since their 2011 debut, Ab Ovo (discussed here), and across the 2014 follow-up, Billow (review here), as they bring a West Coast noise-infused pulse to heavy rock drive on “All Automatons” and meet an enduring punker spirit face first with “Medieval Moan,” all the while presenting a clear head for songcraft amid deep-running tones and melodies. “The Will is Weak” makes perhaps the greatest impact in terms of heft, but heft is by no means all Moab have to offer. With the very real possibility this will be their final record, it is a worthy homage to their fallen comrade and a showcase of their strengths that’s bound someday to get the attention it deserves whenever some clever label decides to reissue it as a lost classic.

Primitive Man & Unearthly Trance, Split

Well of course it’s a massive wash of doomed and hate-filled noise! What were you expecting, sunshine and puppies? Colorado’s Primitive Man and Brooklyn’s Unearthly Trance team up to compare misanthropic bona fides across seven tracks of blistering extremity that do Relapse Records proud. Starting with the collaborative intro “Merging,” the onslaught truly commences with Primitive Man’s 10-minute “Naked” and sinks into an abyss with the instrumental noisefest “Love Under Will,” which gradually makes its way into a swell of abrasive drone. Unearthly Trance, meanwhile, proffer immediate destructiveness with the churning “Mechanism Error” and make “Triumph” dark enough to live up to its most malevolent interpretations, while “Reverse the Day” makes me wonder what people who heard Godflesh in the ’80s must’ve thought of it and the six-minute finishing move “418” answers back to Primitive Man‘s droned-out anti-structure with a consuming void of fuckall depth. It’s like the two bands cut open their veins and recorded the disaffection that spilled out.

Into Orbit, Shifter

Progressive New Zealander two-piece Into Orbit — Paul Stewart on guitar and Ian Moir on drums — offer up the single Shifter as the answer to their 2017 sophomore long-player, Unearthing. The Wellington instrumentalists did likewise leading into that album with a single that later showed up as part of a broader tracklist, so it may be that they’ve got another release already in the works, but either way, the 5:50 standalone track finds them dug into a full band sound with layered or looped guitar standing tall over the mid-paced drumming, affecting an emotion-driven atmosphere as much as the cerebral nature of its craft. Beginning with a thick chug, it works into more melodic spaciousness as it heads toward and through its midsection, lead guitar kicking in with harmony lines joining soon after as the two-piece build back up to a bigger finish. Whatever their plans, Into Orbit make it clear that just because something is prog doesn’t mean it needs to be staid or lack expressiveness.

Super Thief, Eating Alone in My Car

Noise-punk intensity pervades Eating Alone in My Car, the not-quite-not-an-LP from Austin four-piece Super Thief. They call it an album, and that’s good enough for me, especially since at about 20 minutes there isn’t much more I’d ask of the thing that it doesn’t deliver, whether it’s the furious out-of-mindness of minute-long highlight “Woodchipper” or the poli-sci critique of that sandwiches the offering with opener “Gone Country” immediately taking a nihilist anti-stance while closer “You Play it Like a Joke but I Know You Really Mean It” — which consumes nearly half the total runtime at 9:32 — seems to run up the walls unable to stick to the “smoke ’em if you got ’em” point of view of the earlier cut. That’s how the bastards keep you running in circles, but at least Super Thief know where to direct the frustration. “Six Months Blind” and the title-track have a more personal take, but are still worth a read lyrically as much as a listen, as the rhythm of the words only adds to the striking personality of the material.

Absent, Towards the Void

Recorded in 2016, released on CD in 2018 and snagged by Cursed Tongue Records for a vinyl pressing, Absent‘s Towards the Void casts a shimmering plunge of cavernous doom, with swirling post-Electric Wizard guitar and echoing vocals adding to the spaciousness of its four component tracks as the Brasilia-based trio conjure atmospheric breadth to go along with their weighted lurch in opener “Ophidian Womb.” With tracks arranged shortest to longest between eight and a half and 11 minutes, “Semen Prayer,” “Funeral Sun” and “Urine” follow suit from the opener in terms of overall approach, but “Funeral Sun” speeds things up for a stretch while “Urine” lures the listener downward with a subdued opening leading to more filth-caked distortion and degenerate noise, capping with feedback because at that point what the hell matters anyway? Little question in listening why this one’s been making the rounds for over a year now. It will likely continue to do so for some time to come.

A few episodes ago, I played Graven and floated the idea of doing a whole episode that was super-aggressive. At the same time, I thought a show that went totally the other way would be cool too; all acoustic or near-acoustic stuff and nothing really aggro about it. Well, then my silly brain got started wondering why not do both? So here we are. The first hour? Oh that’s mad. Lots of sludge, lots of screaming. When you start off with YOB’s “Nothing to Win,” you know you’re throwing down some anger. I probably won’t play Primitive Man that often. This time, it felt important to make the point. So it’s there next to Coltsblood. Point made.

Second hour? Well, it starts with Lamp of the Universe, so things get pretty trippy and pretty mellow and they basically stay that way with T.G. Olson, Conny Ochs, No Man’s Valley, The Book of Knots — because god damn, I love that song — and Scott Kelly and the Road Home — ditto — getting progressively moodier as they go. From there, it’s time to jam to the end of the episode with WEEED and Träden, who I recently saw have a show coming up at Rough Trade in New York. No way I’ll be cool enough to be there, but it’s an awesome idea anyhow.

All told, I’m happy with how this one came out, and for being kind of a hodgepodge conceptually, I think it’s worth exploring different kinds of heaviness and what makes a particular song or moment feel that way. If you listened last night or hear the replay, thanks.

Here’s the full playlist:

The Obelisk Show – 03.17.19

YOB

Nothing to Win

Clearing the Path to Ascend

Mastiff

Vermin

Plague*

Swarm of the Lotus

From Embers

When White Becomes Black

Sadhus, The Smoking Community

Sobbing Children

Big Fish*

BREAK

Horsehunter

Bring out Yer Dead

Horsehunter*

Primitive Man

Sterility

Caustic

Coltsblood

Snows of the Winter Realm

Split with Un*

Lamp of the Universe

The Leaving

Align in the Fourth Dimension*

T.G. Olson

Backslider

Riding Roughshod*

Conny Ochs

Hammer to Fit

Doom Folk*

No Man’s Valley

Murder Ballad

Outside the Dream*

The Book of Knots

Traineater

Traineater

Scott Kelly & the Road Home

The Field that Surrounds Me

The Forgiven Ghost in Me

BREAK

WEEED

Carmelized

You are the Sky*

Träden

När lingonen mognar (Lingonberries Forever)

Träden

The Obelisk Show on Gimme Radio airs every other Sunday night at 7PM Eastern, with replays the following Tuesday at 9AM. Next show is March 31. Thanks for listening if you do.

Primitive Man, who are about the most unfortunately appropriate soundtrack to our times one could ask, are doing a quickie run of West Coast shows this week — they already played Calgary this weekend — culminating in a gig at Brick by Brick in San Diego with Relapse labelmates -(16)-. That’ll be a good show, provided anyone’s able to walk out of it. The Colorado bringers-of-destruction will spread their chaotic end-days preach to Japan, Australia and New Zealand this Spring, and that run on the other side of the planet will follow a split due next month with Hell that of course follows their split with Unearthly Trance, follows their split with so on and so forth. You get the idea. Like the concrete post-apocalyptic firescape they convey in their consuming assault of noise, they are nothing if not productive.

The PR wire plots the storm’s path:

PRIMITIVE MAN: Announce Spring 2019 World Tour Dates

Denver’s PRIMITIVE MAN announce Spring 2019 World headlining tour dates including trips to Japan, Australia & New Zealand. The tour begins in Japan from April 11-14 with Bell Witch & Coffins, continues in Australia from April 18-21 then ends in New Zealand from April 24-27 with Heresiarch. All confirmed tour dates are available below.

Additionally, PRIMITIVE MAN kick off four exclusive West Coast tour dates this Saturday, January 19 in Calgary, AB and ends January 25 in San Diego, CA with -(16)-.

PRIMITIVE MAN’s recent full-length Caustic is out now on CD/2xLP/CS/Digital via Relapse Records. Physical Packages are available via Relapse.com HERE and Digital Downloads / Streaming Services AT THIS LOCATION.

Every now and then, two bands being labelmates works out well for everyone. And by everyone, I don’t just mean the bands. To wit, uniting Brooklyn’s reignited post-doomers Unearthly Trance with Denver everything-crushers Primitive Man? Yeah, that’s just a win all around. I hope whoever made that pairing happen got a promotion, or at least a bonus, or maybe one of those awesome Relapse Records hoodies that you always see the staff wearing around Philly and get mad jealous. Also, in that scenario, you is me. I mean, we’re all one anyway, but specifically there I’m talking about myself.

Anyway, the point here is that Primitive Man and Unearthly Trance getting together for a split seems like it would be far less likely to happen were it not for the fact that they’re both on Relapse Records, and if that’s what it takes, to manifest that kind of devastation, then all the better. If you missed them, both bands released records last year — Primitive Man assaulted the senses with Caustic (review here) while Unearthly Trance marked a return from a long hiatus with Stalking the Ghost (review here) — and if the ultra-quick teaser for the joint intro to the split is anything to go by, the new outing is going to be noisy as hell.

Primitive Man and Unearthly Trance both will play Psycho Las Vegas next month, and Primitive Man have further touring in Europe set for Aug./Sept. alongside also-labelmates -(16)-. Nothing like keeping good company.

One year after each releasing two of 2017’s heaviest albums, Denver’s PRIMITIVE MAN and New York City’s UNEARTHLY TRANCE unite for an exercise in complete and total suffering, coming this August via Relapse Records. Across seven apocalyptic tracks,both bands tap into some of the most uncomfortable, vile realms of blackened doom and dissonant, harsh noise put to tape in the new millennium.

Watch the official split album trailer featuring opening track “Merging,” recorded by both bands, HERE. New music from each band will be available in the near future.

PRIMITIVE MAN & UNEARTHLY TRANCE’s split LP is due out August 17th on CD, LP and digital formats through Relapse.com. Physical packages, digital downloads, and streaming services are available HERE.

Additionally, PRIMITIVE MAN has recently announced a European headlining tour with labelmates -(16)-. The tour begins August 29th in Dortmund, Germany and ends September 15th at Bloodshed Festival in Eindhoven, Netherlands. PRIMITIVE MAN will perform at various Summer festival appearances such as Psycho Las Vegas, Electric Funeral Fest, and Temple Of Ascension Vol. 1. All confirmed tour dates are available below.

Rocky Mountain destroyers Primitive Man head out next month on a tour of the Midwest and East Coast with Spectral Voice, playing, among other spots, the Meatlocker in Montclair in my beloved Garden State for a set that surely will test the structural integrity of that basement venue’s support beams. Now, following that run, they go to the UK — also a one-off in Israel, because obviously — to play Desertfest London 2018 and other dates with Bismuth before coming back to the US and hitting the West Coast for a headlining stretch alongside a slew of others detailed below.

All of this is happening in support of last year’s aptly-titled full-length, Caustic (review here), which offered an overwhelming dose of the Denver three-piece’s sludge extremity. They stand among the heaviest bands in the US right now, and off the top of my head, I’m not sure who has them beat, if anyone does. Let me think on it. I’ll get back to you. In the meantime, surely venues like Mac’s Bar in Lansing, the aforementioned Meatlocker, and Sister Bar in Albuquerque — as well as, you know, everywhere else — will want to investigate earthquake insurance.

Denver nihilistic trio PRIMITIVE MAN announce 2018 West Coast tour dates in support of their recent full-length album Caustic. The tour commences May 19 in Fort Collins, CO and ends June 18 in Dallas, TX, including appearances at Northwest Terror Fest and Austin Terror Fest. Direct support will be provided by Infernal Coil (5/19-5/21), Celeste (5/26-6/01), Wayfarer (6/11-6/18) and Forn (6/14-6/19). A full list of confirmed tour dates is available below.

Additionally, PRIMITIVE MAN begin their Spring headline tour with Spectral Voice next month on March 17 in Omaha, NE. The tour runs through 24 cities and ends on April 09 in Denver, CO. PRIMITIVE MAN have also announced a United Kingdom tour from April 25 to May 06 with Bismuth. Includes an exclusive one off and the band’s first ever performance in Tel Aviv on May 03. PRIMITIVE MAN are currently confirmed for a couple Summer festivals including Electric Funeral Fest and Temple of Ascension Vol. 1. Stay tuned for more tour news in the near future.

It’s only taken a few years for Psycho Las Vegas to establish itself as the premier underground festival in the US. All well and good. With 2018’s lineup, though, it’s time to start thinking of Psycho among the best in the world.

Sounds like too much? Consider Godflesh and Dimmu Borgir sharing a stage, both for exclusive West Coast appearances. Think of Sweden’s Witchcraft playing one of the two shows they’ll do in the US at Psycho, and ditto that for Japanese riff-madmen Church of Misery. Think of US exclusives from Lee Dorrian’s With the Dead, or Lucifer, whose Johanna Sadonis will also DJ the Center Bar. The commitment to up and coming underground acts local, domestic and foreign like Temple of Void, King Buffalo, Dreadnought, The Munsens and DVNE. Picture yourself watching Wolves in the Throne Room headline a pre-fest pool party with Elder, Young and in the Way, Dengue Fever, Fireball Ministry and Toke.

2018 is the year Psycho Las Vegas outclasses even itself and pushes further than it ever has in terms of stylistic reach (Integrity walks by and waves… at Boris) and the sheer power of its construction. If you’re looking for the future, you’ll find it in scumbag paradise.